“I wanted to let you know we’ve partnered with Matt Adler to develop the 65-seat stand-alone restaurant that will open adjacent to The Roost. Caruso’s Grocery will be modeled after the classic, Italian-American “red sauce” joint; it’s very important to Matt and us as a team to not reinvent the wheel with this concept, but instead to focus on making the best possible versions of classic Italian-American dishes.

We’ve engaged Matt as a consultant on The Roost as a whole, but he’s a partner for Caruso’s Grocery – leading the charge on the development of the concept, menu and recipes. While he won’t serve as the executive chef at Caruso’s Grocery, Matt will work closely with the chef once we have that person in place. This restaurant is a passion project for both Matt and Michael; the concept is largely inspired by the restaurant Matt’s dad ran when he was growing up in upstate NY, Scoozi, while the name “Caruso’s Grocery” is an homage to Michael’s grandmother’s Italian market in Louisiana. Matt and Michael have shared many meals at 100-year-old classic Italian-American restaurants in Brooklyn and Manhattan over the past couple of months in developing the direction for this throwback restaurant.

When Caruso’s Grocery opens at The Roost early next year, you can expect to find handmade pastas like Rigatoni alla Vodka, Five Cheese Ravioli, plus Hand Pulled Mozzarella with basil marinated tomatoes, Chicken Parmigiana, Pork Chops Pizzaiola Style… to name a few. Desserts will include classics like New York style cheesecake with strawberry preserves and a really great tiramisu.”